what clues are there to know when a chicken is going to start laying eggs

[Rob In SoCal]

I am new to keeping and raising chickens. We have 12 chickens, 11 hens and one rooster. All are the same age, just over five months old now and two of them started laying two weeks ago. The first sign was they went into the nest box and started building a nest with the alfalfa a few days before they began to lay. Everyday, a few hours before they lay they start cackling like they are in labor. We have a camera in the henhouse so I watch it and see them go into their boxes for 15 minutes and then come out to free range again. It seems to happen around noon or 1:00 p.m. and sure enough there are eggs in the nest every time.

Rob

 

[cats and chicks]

My girls are only 2 months old, but they're combs are red and they lay on the ground quite a bit.
I have just assumed they're doing this because it's starting to get hot here and they're trying to cool off by laying on the ground. When i let them out to "free range" they fly and run like crazy.
I would love for them to start laying, but figured I wouldn't see eggs from them until at least August or September.....
Thoughts??

 

[subhanalah]

My girls are only 2 months old, but they're combs are red and they lay on the ground quite a bit.
I have just assumed they're doing this because it's starting to get hot here and they're trying to cool off by laying on the ground. When i let them out to "free range" they fly and run like crazy.
I would love for them to start laying, but figured I wouldn't see eggs from them until at least August or September.....
Thoughts??

it'll be a while before you see any eggs from them

 

[OlyGirl1984]

My 2 leghorns are about 17-18 weeks.. Fluff's comb os bigger than Marshmallows, but i guess Marshmallow couldn't skip out on all the fun!

fluff looks like a roo.

 

[misskris10]

fluff looks like a roo.

Nope, our roo is the white leghorn in the back.. Fluff grew her comb in the past week or 2. I knew our roo was a roo when he was about 4-6 weeks old.. he was more agressive.. not really towards me or anyone else, but if i was offering snacks.. he pecked at it harder.. marshmallow is growing her comb more as well..

The first thing i thought when Fluff's comb started getting bigger was that she better not be a late blooming roo.. lol

 

[Leha]

Out of curiosity, I have hens laying in a five-gallon bucket on my back porch. I have one pullet hitting POL this month (her vent looks like she could be laying, but it's not as open "enough" for me to say she's laying) ... Anyway, the hens that are already laying monopolize the bucket pretty much all day long (to the point where sometimes one of them finds an alternative laying spot on the porch). I have a very quiet hen who lays behind the shed under the wading pool beside the lawn mower; I don't expect her to lay with that hen, she doesn't hang out with her much and if you're not right on top of her, you don't hear her singing the egg song.
My question is would this pullet start laying way out in the yard or woods, or is she likely to lay on the porch with the other (loud mouth) girls?
What about her laying with the Banty in the nursery pot behind the shed?

What do you think? Any advice or suggestions, etc.?

Thanks!!! =D

My biggest piece of advice would be to get another bucket! LOL! I over provide for my girls, they each have the opportunity to lay in their own special box. If your girls are being semi-broody and not leaving the container you use, at least long enough for another girl to lay, your pullet could start searching out an alternative place. However, if you leave the daily rent in the bin (and possibly a second bin) she should see that the other girls lay there and find it safe, so she will mimic them.

 

[mike76]

I learned alot reading this post. Thanks for the advise, very informative.

 

[HenniPenny]

Most of mine are about 4 1/2 months old. I noticed they increased in size about 2 weeks beforehand. Then they started squawking & scratching around in the eggbox a lot more than usual. I got my 1st egg yesterday around 12:20pm after about 40 minutes of squawking, courtesy of my dark-faced Amerucana. Thanks Apples!

 

[Hedwig]

If you take your index finger and middle finger, hold them toegther. Then place your two fingers where her vent is. You will either feel her pubic bones on either sides of you two fingers or you will be placing your two fingers on her pubic bones. If you feel the bones on the side then the pullet can pass an egg and is ready to lay.

 

[troy4]

my chicken has been laying in the bottom of our chicken coop all day long and i wanted to know if that is a sign that she is going to start to lay eggs since she is already 23 plus weeks old

Maybe.When my hens first started laying she hopped straight in the nest box layed it and left.